REFINING A DYNAMIC FRAMEWORK FOR CIRCULAR BUSINESS MODELS: LESSONS FROM AN INDUSTRY WORKSHOP SERIES

Establishing holistic circular business practices that address the entire product life cycle is of critical importance in the current global context. Such approaches offer a strategic response to severe challenges such as resource scarcity, environmental degradation, and waste generation. This contribution presents a framework specifically designed for small and medium-sized enterprises, aimed at supporting the development of circular products, services, and business models, thereby emphasising the relevance of systematic and comprehensible approaches. The iterative, multi-phase model facilitates an effective transition towards a circular economy, enhancing environmental resilience, resource efficiency, and other key circular aspects, while drawing on established circular paradigms. To assess the model’s practical applicability and effectiveness, it was implemented through a series of workshops with companies from various industry sectors located in Southwest Germany. The paper concludes by stating limitations of the approach and identifying critical challenges that must be addressed within the lead model.